Improvement in vehicles



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E. D. WELLER.

AM PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHIC co. MX(0Seo/?N:9 Pnacass) Sh E. n. WELLER. 3 Sheets Vehicles. .q N0. 41,905. Patented'Augu st19, 1873.,

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EUGENE D. WELLER, OF LIMA, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN VEHICLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 141,905, dated August 19, 1873 application filed June 28, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE D. WELLER, of Lima, in the county of Livingston and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicles, which I denominate Triacting Gearing; and- I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings makin g part of this specification, in which- Figure 1, Plate 1, is a section taken vertically and longitudinally through the center of my improved running-gear for vehicles. Fig. 2, Plate 1, is a vertical section, in detail, of the ends of two reaches and the adjusting device applied thereto. Fig. 3, Plate 1, is a cross-section, showing an end view of one of the adjusting devices. Fig. 4, Plate 2, is a top view of the running-gear. Fig. 5, Plate 3, is a front elevation of the same. Figs. 6 and 7, Plate 3, are views in detail, showing a modification of the adjusting devices for the reaches. 1

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in theseveral figures.

This invention relates to certain novel improvements which are applicable to fourwheel vehicles of all kinds and sizes, wherein I employ centrally elevated or arched axles, jointed and vertically-adj ustable reaches, and longitudinally-arched springs, as will be hereinafter explained.

The following descriptionof my invention will enable others skilled in the art to fully understand it.

In the accompanying drawings, A A represent the axles, which are mounted on wheels B, and arched transversely, as shown in Fig.

5, so that they are considerably elevated at the middle of their length, for a purpose hereinafter explained. The elevation may be obtained by giving the angular shape to the axles, as shown in Fig. 5, or by curving the axles, or by verticallifts, or in any other suitable manncr. D D represent the reaches, which are composed of four sections, jointed together at a middle or intermediate point between the front and rear axles. The rear sections D D are parallel, or nearly so, to each other, and are rigidly secured at their rear ends to the rear axle A, at, points which are equidistant from the middle of its length, as shown in Fig. 4. The front reach-sections D D are secured rigidly at their front ends to an arched bolster, O, which bolster is supported uponthe front axle, and connected thereto by a king-bolt, a, which is passed from. abovedownward through the axle and bolster, or applied in any other suitable manner, and is confined by a nut, a, on its lower end. The front reach-sections D D have a transverse brace, D, secured to them, which strengthens them against lateral strain, and affords support for the upper and rear part of the fifthwheel; and these sections diverge somewhat from the front axle backward, so that their "rear extremities are in lines with and the same and giving great solidity to the structure I employ diagonal braces at the front and rear thereof. The braces G G are secured to the front ends of the rear reach-sections, and, after crossing each other and being secured to vertical posts g g fixed to and depending from these rear reaches, the rods are rigidly secured to the rear axle at or near its depressed extremities, as shown in the drawings. The front brace-rods G G are secured to the rear ends of the front reach-sections D D, crossed, and secured to posts g g, and again secured to the extremities of the bolster O. The two brace-rods d d, which are connected to the ends of the king-bolt a, and extend back and are connected to the cross-bar D at the middle of its length, indicate the action of a fifthwheel and lower lead-iron on this brace. For very light vehicles some of these brace-rods may be omitted; but for vehicles which are designed for bearing-heavy loads the cross-rods, arranged and applied as described, afford very substantial ties and braces between the reaches and their axle and bolster. The front and rear reaches D are connected together, at or near the middle of the length of the runninggear, by means of knuckle-joints, which allow a spreading and gathering of the axles produced by vertical play at these joints. My object in the construction of these knucklejoints and adjusting devices, which are applied thereto, is to adjust all the reaches in the same horizontal plane, when thereare ex plates are rigidly secured to a bracket or stay iron, K, which is bolted to a spring-block, E, as shown in the drawings. Between the ends of the cheeks J J are pivoted, at it, the upper ends of two shanks, T T, between which and the central block F are elastic packingse c.

The shanks T T are formed on or suitably secured to the ends of the reachsections D D, and they present to the packing e 0 long vertical or straight surfaces, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, which allow the required knuckle-joint movements vertically. There may be several supplemental holes made through the cheeks J J for the pivotpins t i, so that the joints of the shanks may be adjusted higher or lower, as circumstances require. For the purpose of maintaining compactness in the knucklejoints for loads varying in weight I employ wedges W V, which, in Figs. 1 and 2, are formed on the lower supporting end of the bracket or stay iron K, and extend up between the packings e e and block F. To effect the adjustment of the knuckle-joint with this device I employ a screw, it, which is tapped through the connecting portion for the wedges W \V, and its stem it passed up loosely through the block F and overhanging portion of the bracket K. At thetop and bottom of the block F I apply collars or nuts on the stem at, which turn with this stem and connect it to the block, so as to prevent it moving endwise therein. I prevent lateral thrust of the reaches at their knuckle-joints, and at the same time guide these joints in their adjustments by means of guides o 0 0 0, which extend from the outer cheek-plates J J on opposite sides of the brackets K K, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Figs. 6 and 7 represent'a slight modification of the ad 'justing device. 111 this instance the cheekpieces J and their blocks F are rigidly connected to brackets and the spring-blocks E, or to other suitable parts. The wedges W are not connected at their lower ends, nor have they an adjusting screw applied to them. hen they are adjusted they are kept up by means of a pin, a, which passes through them on top of the block F. I prefer to adopt the adjusting device first described on account of the convenience and facility with which the reach-joints can be adjusted and the wedges properly applied, whether the vehicle be loaded lightor heavy. The spring-blocks E are secured to two springs, S S, which are represented in the drawings as arranged outside of the reaches. These springs extend from the rear axle to the front bolster, and are of the el= 1i ptic or arched form, as shownin Fig. 1. Their rear extremities are connected to the rear axle A by means of links I), which are located below the plane of the reaches. The front ends of these springs are connected by links b to the depressed ends of the arched bolster O at points which are below the front ends of the reaches. By this arrangement and application of springs they support orhold up the knucklejoints of the reaches, and they can be made of sufficient length to alford a free and easy springy motion; at the same time their highest points can be brought in the horizontal plane of the reaches. These positions of the ends of the springs, obtained by proper construction of the parts named, must be such that the spread and gather of the gearing shall always be in conjunction with the extension and contraction of the springs at their points of attachment when they are brought into elastic action as the vehicle and its load are moved along. In gearin gs which are spread to receive the body of the vehicle between the reaches and springs, these parts may be in the same perpendicular plane on each side of the longitudinal center of the vehicle, so that the links 11 b will be directly under the front and rear ends of the reaches, and the central portions of the reaches will be directly over the springs, and in the same plane with them.

For top-buggies, open and skeleton buggies, with short gearings, leaf-springs, solid springs, or springs composed of wood centers and leaf or solid springs are to be adopted.

For long gearings and heavy vehicles, wood centers with solid or leaf-spring extremities can be employed, so that omnibus-bodies of any length and hack-bodies set low with side doors may be employed, the crossed gearing being used with these vehicles, as above described. If the body of the vehicle is dropped between the reaches and springs, and the axles are not raised or arched, as above described, the front and rear ends of the reaches are elevated to the proper height by standards of wood or metal, and properly braced to maintain the same horizontal line or position, and the same joint action of their central extremities, as above described. This makes the downward and rising movements of the centers, When the vehicle is in motion, to be alternately above and below a horizontal plane, thereby making the forward and backward oscillations of the axles both sides of the per pendicular vary as little as possible from a perpendicular portion.

The object of the wedges is mainly to keep the knuckle joints properly packed as the shanks are opened at their bottoms in lowering the knuckles to adjust the reaches to'a horizontal plane. When the vehicle is set for very heavy loads the screw-bolts n n are turned so as throw upward the knuckle-joints and shanks, and the latter will crowd their surfaces against the packings e eas theyrise, the wedges at the same time slipping-down and allowing the p'ackings to recede, the parts thereby reother.

tainingthe same compactness when lowered or elevated.

The bolts or pivots through the shanks and the screw-bolts in the knuckle-joints will, in practice, be surrounded with rubber piping to prevent rattling or undue wear.

The reaches will .terminate at their inner ends or central connections without shanks, and in straight or flat ends, when applied to heavy vehicles, which are not subjected to extreme upward thrust.

Finally, it will be seen, from the above description of my improvements in four-wheeled vehicles, that I support the body of the vehicle upon longitudinally-arched springs which are connected fore and'aft to axles or bolsters, and to the spring-bars of which are suitably suspended the central ends of reach-sections,

' which are connected together by knuckle-j oints that may be so adjusted as to maintain the horizontal position of the reaches under different1oads. I also connect the reaches, the springs,-and the axles together in such manner that their action or movements are synchronous and mutually dependent on each I also elevate the extremities of the reaches over the front and rear axles, so as to further aid in maintaining the horizontal positions of the reaches, and also to get the longest possible radiuses, and thereby the'least possible 'oscillationof the axles.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A vehicle having its reaches attached to the rear axle or bolster and front bolster, and jointed together between said axle and bolster, in combination with longitudinal springs which support said jointed reaches, substantially as described.

2. The braces G or G, arranged, as described, in front and rear parts of the running-gear, the latter containing raised and j ointed reaches, substantially as described.

3. The arrangement of the spring-supporting links below the front and rear extremities of the reach-sections, substantially as described.

4. The reach-sections D D, sustained by springs S S at or near the middle of their length by means of the brackets K K, said sections being jointed substantially as described.

5. Wedges w and packing 0, applied between the central extremities of the jointed reaches D and a block, F, said wedges being adjusted substantially as described.

-6. The combination of jointed reaches and longitudinal springs, which are centrally raised at their extremities, the springs being depressed below the reaches, and connected to axle and bolster, substantially as described.

EUGENE D. WELLER.

Witnesses ANN E. DECKER, HENRY DECKER. 

